President Barack Obama, his final campaign finished, is showing some emotion.

In “A League of Their Own,” Tom Hanks once famously declared that “there’s no crying in baseball!” And usually there’s no crying in politics either. Democratic presidential candidate Ed Muskie got roasted by the press in 1972 when he appeared to cry in public. And former Colorado Rep. Pat Schroeder was attacked by some critics in 1987 for weeping after she announced she wouldn’t seek the Democratic nomination for president.

But after winning his second term, President Obama, known for his emotional reserve, allowed himself a few manly tears as he thanked his staff for their help in the wake of the hard-fought election. The video of the address is now spreading on the web.

Today, a few well-earned tears in politics has become more acceptable, and respectable, allowing the public to see leaders as more human. GOP leader John Boehner’s tearing up became part of his public persona (and sometimes fodder for comics). And former president Bill Clinton was known for open displays of emotion.

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